Washing-machine.



P. F. SCHNEIDER..

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25. 1915.

htented. Jan,15,1918.

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P. F. SCHNElDEB. WASHING'MACHINE.

APPLICATION man NOV.26. ms.

Patented Jan.15,1918.

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WASHING-MACHINE.

' Specification of Letters Batent.

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Application filed. November as, 1915. Serial no. eatia.

I To all whom it may concern:

tating ing Be it known that 1, PETER F. Sonnnmnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and usethe same, reference bein had to the accompanying drawings, whic form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to clothes washingmachines and the primary object of the invention/is a device for the the clothes are continuously agitated and circulated in the water to and from an agiwheel loperating in the reservoir, which acts as a beater and tends to force the water through the fabric. In the usual machine having an agitating wheel provided with paddles or the like which en; gage the clothing during its operation, the said clothing becomes twisted into a rope like formation making it difficult indeed to separate the various articles in the reservoir after being washed. An object of this inventionds an agitating wheel having paddles adapted to engage the articles being washed and so constructed as toprevent the twisting of the articles during the washing operation. A further object of the invention resides in the form of the receptacle I and relative position of the agitating wheel therein, whereby a whirling motion of the water is set up during operation of the agitating wheel producing a travel of the articles of clothing from and toward the wheel so that all articles being washed come into engagementwith the wheel, the wheel beso arranged as to pick up a quantity of water which serves to disengage the clothing from the paddle wheels. A further object of th'e'invention, is an agitating wheel provided with pockets adapted to pick up and discharge water during revolution of the wheel thereof, and a further object is an agitating and claimed and disclosed in the wheel of the character stated having a dome like central projection adapted to prevent the clothingfrom engaging the paddles at a central point of intersection. These and other "objects and the several novel features of. construction by which they may be attained are hereinafter more fully described Wayne, State of Michi an, have invented a certain new and useul Improvement in Washing-Machines, and

purpose in which ment of the inventionshown in the accompanying drawing in 'which- Figure 1 is a-horizontal section of a washmg machine embodying my invention.

ig. 2 isa vertical section thereof on line w-m of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3is horizontal section of a larger type of machine utilizing more than one agitating wheel.

Fig. 4: is adetail inperspective of one of the agitating wheels.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section of one of the paddles showing the pocket formed in the side thereof.

Similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the drawing and specification.

In its preferred form the device consists of a cylindrical tub or reservoir 1, carried on a framework 2 and arranged with its longitudinal axis in a vertical plane as shown particularly in Fig. 2. The cover 3 of any approved'type may be utilized for the upper end thereof and the bottom 4: may be concaved from the bottom, as is indicated in said figure if so desired. An agitating wheel 5 is rovided at one side of the reservoir prefera ly formed of sheet metal having the general form of a frustum of a hollow sphere. ''The radius 'of the said wheel is preferably less than the radius of the reservoir as is shown particularly in Fig. 1, and on the inside of this frustum. are secured the paddles 6 there being preferably four of such paddles formed by'two centrally intersecting parts crossing at a right angle. The rounded ends of the paddles as indicated at 7 project beyond the metal base orback 5 and the edge 8 of the metal part for a short distance is turned over the ends of the paddle wheels forming a cylindrical ring which has an additional function hereina ter described. About the center of the agitating wheel is a rounded or dome shaped sheet metal part 9 extending outward fromtlie base 5 as indicated. This rounded part 9 prevents the clothing from entering the center of the wheel andbeing rounded as shown the clothing readily slides oif from the surface thereof. lBy reason of the movement of the water in the receptacle the clothing is drawn toward and into the wheel and a greater... or less amount is lifted by the paddles during their revolution, and which paddles also lift a considerable ount of ltlti water due to the form of the agl are tating wheel, which pockets the water be tween the paddles, and this water runs down onto the dome shaped part 9 tending to Wash the clothing away from the wheel at the center. This action of the water is 1mportant in that it prevents the clothes from being wound up in the paddle wheel and also enables the Water to wash through the fabric tending to clean the same, and the movement of the articles through the water the blade is provided with grooves or pockets 10 on the side which contacts the water in its revolution, and in passing out of the water carry a quantity of the same there'- with. This water in the pockets tends to loosen such fabrics as may hang on the pad dle member and also adds to the quantity of Water which otherwise naturally flows through the fabric. To prevent the clothes passing behind the paddle wheel at the bottom a shield 11 is provided preferably formed of sheet metal occupying the space between the paddle wheel and the tub and having a substantially vertical straight or curved face 12 at an angle to the paddle wheel 5. The purpose of this vertical face is to prevent the clothing from passing behind the paddle wheel and to deflect the clothing outwardly into the paddle wheel as may be readily understood from the drawings.

The agitating wheel is providedwith a shaft 13 attached to the back thereof and extending through a bearing provided in the side 'of the receptacle. The end of this shaft may be squared as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, and a'crank applied to the same for turning the wheel by hand when desired. It is also desirable to operate the agitating wheel by power. For this purpose a worm wheel 14., which is loose on the shaft 13, is provided with one member 15 of a jaw clutch, the opposite member 16 of which is splined to the shaft and adapted to be operated by a lever 17. The worm wheel is driven by a worm 18 as indicated in F ig. 2,

on the shaft of an electric motor 19. By this arrangement, when the clutch 16 is withdrawn from its companion 15, the agitating wheel may be operated by hand or, by bringing the two clutch members into engagement, power may be applied thereto.

Under rapid rotation of the agitating wheel water which is picked up by the blades or paddles tends to fly out of the agitating each of which is similar wheel on the curved surface of the back or base 5. To prevent this the flange 8 is provided tending to keep the water within the receptacle and to discharge the same through the clothes that may hang on the ends of the blades and force them off therefrom.

In Fig. 3, I have shown a receptacle greater in size than that of Fig. 1, in which two similar agitating wheels may be used, to the agitating wheel shown and described in Fig. 1. The two-wheels, however, should be rotated in the same direction to produce the desired whirling motion of the water indicated by the arrows in Fig, 3. The clothes passing off'from one wheel being drawn into the next wheel by reason of the movement of the water. To operate these wheels in conjunction and in the proper direction of travel the motor shaft 15 is provided with a bevel 'gear 16 and -17 on opposite ends thereof meshing with similar bevel wheels on the shaft'of a worm which is positioned directly beneath the Worm wheels 18 .md 19 respectively on the two shafts for the agitating wheels. As in theformer, instance these worm wheels are loose'on the shaft and by means of the clutch mechanism indicated at 20 and 21 either or both wheels may be made to drive the respective agitating wheels. By

this arrangement of duplicate agitating wheels which may be of any desired number by proper. arrangement of mechanism large batches of clothing may be quickly and theroughly washed as readily as smaller batches with the single agitating wheel heretofore described.

Various alterations may be made in the matter of driving mechanism and of the material of which the parts are formed without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What I claim' and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is In a washing machine, a tub cylindrical in form with the longitudinal axis thereof in vertical position, an agitating wheel having the general form of a frustum of a hollow sphere provided withpaddles, and meansfor rotating the wheel.

2. In a washing machine, a tub cylindrical in form with the longitudinal axis th-reof extending in vertical direction, an agitating wheel having the general form of a frustum of a hollow sphere provided with paddles 4 in the concave side thereof, the radius of the frustum, being less than the radius of the tub, and a baflie provided 'at the lower side of the wheel and extending each way therefrom to the wall of the tub adapted to prevent the clothes from passing behind the wheel.

3. In a washing machine, an agitating wheel having the general form of a frustum of a hollow sphere, blades secured in the inner hollow face thereof forming pockets bemaacsc tween the blades adapted to pick up a quantity of water in the tub, and 'a dome shaped central portion over which the water flows from the pockets by gravity whereby the clothesbeing washed are forced awayfrom the center of the wheel.

l. In a washing machine, an agitating wheel having a sheet metal base of the general form of a frustum of a hollow sphere, and blades secured thereto providing pockets by means of which a body of water is lifted during revolution of the wheel and discharged by gravity and centrifugal force of v the revolving wheel.

5. In a washing machine, an agitating wheel having a sheet metal base of the general form of a frustum of a hollow sphere, the edge thereof being turned to provide a narrow cylindrical portion, blades secured in the inner surface of the sheet metal base having parts extending beyond the plane of the cylindrical part, a. dome shaped portion extending outwardly from the center of the inside of the base over which water flows by gravity from the pockets between each' of the blades, said cylindrical portion providing a means guiding the water thrown outwardly by centrifugal force in a direction substantially parallel with the axis of revolution.

6. In a washing machine, a circular tub, an agitating wheel having a concave base shorter in radius than the radius of the tub, and a shield occupying the space between the wheel and the tub, said shield having a substantially vertical face at an angle to the wheel adjacent the edge adaptedto deflect the water and clothing into the wheel the machine is in operation.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification.

PETER F. SCHNEIDER.

when 

